Put Another Dime in the Jukebox
by DArtagnan09
Summary: Moments in the lab with Barry, Cal, and sometimes others. Some snippets, some longer, not necessarily in order. Barry/OC.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the Flash or the song Evil Woman. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

Barry laughed as the song changed over to a ballad from the 50s. "Just don't expect me to serenade you back."

"Ooh, _can_ you sing?"

"So I've been told, but it's a rare occurence."

Cal grinned, "I'll get it out of you eventually."

They worked in companionable silence except for Cal's singing for the next few hours - true to her word, she sang every word to every song, including rapping her way through more than one Meek Mill song. The playlist cycled back around and the ELO song that had been playing when he walked in began again.

 _"You made a fool of me_

 _But them broken dreams have got to end..."_

"Barry!"

His head snapped up from his microscope. "What?"

"You were singing just now!"

He colored immediately. "No I wasn't!" Was he?

"You so were! That was way more than Jeff Lynne!" Cal was grinning widely, eyes crinkling under her glasses. "You _are_ good Barry - you should sing more often."

Her words made Barry feel warm, and he found himself unable to help the smile pulling at his lips. "Thanks. So are you."


	2. Chapter 2

This got sooooooo much deeper than expected, but I think it ended up being a really nice bonding moment for Barry and Cal, as they're getting closer and their feelings are starting to get stronger. They're becoming more and more comfortable opening up to each other and are carving out significant spaces in each other's lives.

Though I do my best to keep my OCs as far from my own personality and background as possible, Cal's story is very loosely based on my own experience hearing of the death of someone I loved deeply but was years distant from.

I don't own the Flash or the song Little Talks. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

In the three weeks since Cal had first caught Barry singing along with her, she had been unrelenting in rotating through as many artists and genres as she could think of to get him to do it again. It was more a battle of wills at this point - there had been several that tempted him, but he enjoyed watching her hair get bigger and bigger as she ran her hands through it, exasperated in her mission.

Today was different though. Barry had beaten Cal to work, which had literally never happened before, and rather than a perky "Good morning Boss!" he was greeted with a subdued "Hey Barry" and she walked right past the cup of coffee he had set out for her to plop down in her chair and immediately open a report. Even her hair seemed to lack its usual bounce, the limp curls adding to the depressed air about her.

"Uh...hey, Cal." She didn't make eye contact with him, instead turning her music on immediately before he had a chance to ask what was wrong. She clearly didn't want to talk about it, so he instead went about his morning, keeping an eye trained on her to wait for her opening.

Her song choices leaned towards the melancholy, and he actually found them rather soothing. If nothing else, he could always get an idea of her mood based on what she was listening to.

She still sang along, more softly than usual, and as a new song started, one he knew from the radio, he found her voice particularly haunting.

 _"I don't like walking around this old and empty house"_

 _"So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear"_

Cal's head snapped up as she swiveled around to him and she missed the next line. Barry had joined in on the male part without even thinking about it and was so embarrassed he nearly stopped. Another look at the raw expression on her face, however, and he continued.

 _"It's the house telling you to close your eyes"_

Though she didn't smile, Cal began to sing again, lowering her head back to the reports she was scribbling in. Barry followed suit, allowing the words to hang between them as they worked.

 _"And some days I can't even dress myself"_

 _"It's killing me to see you this way"_

 _"'Cause though the truth may vary this ship will carry our  
_ _Bodies safe to shore"_

They continued the duet quietly until the song was over, and Cal turned off the music and just sat there, staring nothing for several long moments. Barry waited for her to speak when she was ready.

"How long have you and your friend Iris known each other?"

That was unexpected. "Uh, as long as I can remember, my mom and Joe were friends from college."

"It's great that you've made it to adulthood and still stayed so close."

"Yeah, it is."

"My sister Lia called me this morning."

Barry waited for her to continue, not entirely sure where she was going with this. She looked up at him as she pushed her glasses onto her head and gave a humorless chuckle.

"Torionne and I met on the first day of kindergarten and were absolutely inseparable from that day forward. That was...a problem."

"Problem?"

"I've worked really hard to lose my accent, but I come from BFE Smalltown Oklahoma. No matter what the elected officials want you to believe, racism is alive and well."

It took Barry a moment to understand. "Wait, you mean..."

"Oh yeah. A little white girl and a little black boy? No ma'am, not happening, don't you dare."

Barry couldn't begin to wrap his head around it. He and Iris had literally never faced issues, and he was raised in her home more than half his life. "But that's crazy!"

"You know that, and Tori and I knew that, and I will forever thank my lucky stars that our families knew that and didn't keep us apart, but we were literally spat at, Barry. At six years old, grown men and women threw cigarette butts and beer cans at us for our 'filthy association'. It never stopped. It became less overt, but it never stopped. Our friendship was hard, but we cared about each other, and we made it work."

"I am so sorry you had to go through that, Cal. It's just wrong."

"Yeah, it is. And if that weren't enough, small town life was so suffocating! Everyone knew everyone else's secrets, who kissed who behind the stadium in junior high and who slept with who getting drunk after homecoming. It was unavoidable. The most popular event all year was the prize pig show at the county fair."

Barry started a bit, raising an eyebrow.

"Totally serious. It just got worse the closer we got to high school graduation. I didn't tell anyone but Torionne that I was applying to schools out of state, especially not my parents. I just couldn't do my mom's good little country pageant girl routine anymore, get an associate's degree in something boring and be a school secretary. I'm a scientist, dammit!"

"Wait, wait," Barry interrupted, smiling for the first time. "Pageant girl? Please tell me there's photographic evidence."

"And half a dozen first place sashes, sir, I earned those." Cal allowed herself a real laugh, grateful for the reprieve, but sombered again quickly. "Tori was always so supportive, applied to all the same schools. Got in to most of them, too - we were going to get jobs and an apartment and be roommates and never, ever go back. But then Tori got scared.

"After we got our acceptance letters, he suddenly refused to leave and shredded all of his. He was convinced the rest of the world was just like our hometown, couldn't stand the idea of facing more hatred than we already dealt with. Nothing I said could convince him, absolutely nothing. When it came time to leave for MIT and he still refused to go, I...I left. I couldn't stay, not even for him. And I never went back."

She was silent for a long time then, and Barry started to think she wasn't going to continue.

"He was so mad. He refused to speak to me for two years. Finally my sister came to see me at school and I called him from her phone, hoping he'd answer. He did, just long enough to tell me that he hated me and never to contact him again." She scrubbed at her eyes for a moment, thought she hadn't shed any tears. "I honored his wish, always hoping he'd change his mind. We haven't spoken in five years. He drove to the city and jumped off a thirty story building yesterday."

"Oh God. Cal, I'm so sorry."

"And part of me feels like I should be blaming myself, you know? Like, I knew how they treated him in that town and I abandoned him for my own selfish desires. But my therapist and I talked a lot about it and I know it's not my fault, I had to do what was right for me and no one else. But could I have done something more to convince him to leave? Should I have called him even though he didn't want me to?"

Barry stood from his chair and walked across the lab to her now, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Cal, you can't blame yourself for this. You didn't make that decision for him, you did everything you could to let him know he was loved. It sounds like he was hearing so many horrible things they blocked out the good ones."

Cal brought both her hands up to grasp his right one, resting her chin on them with closed eyes. She visibly relaxed at his words, letting out a long, slow breath. "Thank you, Barry. For some reason hearing it from you means a lot more than hearing it from my sister."

"Anytime. Are you going back for the funeral?"

"No. That place is toxic. I'll do something for him here, where I'm home. The Torionne I grew up with would understand. He'd have liked it here. He'd have liked you."

Barry found pride blossoming fast and strong at the comparison. "Well it seems we shared good taste in friends."

He sang along regularly after that.

* * *

Seriously debated that last line. If you think it's too blah I'll take it out.


	3. Chapter 3

Light and fun to make up for the angst last time.

I don't own the Flash or the song ABC.

* * *

"Have you heard that they're calling our lab the Jukebox?" Barry asked Cal, coming through the lab doors with Joe as another officer left.

"Wait, what?" Cal looked up from the files she was organizing. "Really? Is that why people keep standing outside the door all creepylike, they're listening to the music?"

"I think the live entertainment for the past six weeks has something to do with it too," Joe chuckled. While Singh had instructed Cal to keep the music and her voice down to manageable levels, there was no denying the station appreciated the small levity to break the monotony of a difficult job. Today she appeared to be on a roll with Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, and was positively grooving across the lab as she worked.

 _"I'm gonna teach you_  
 _All about love dear!_  
 _Sit yourself down and take a seat,_  
 _All you gotta do is repeat after me"_

Barry and Joe both laughed at the perfect example of the new appeal of the lab, causing Cal to stop in her tracks.

"Oh. I see your point. I am kind of ridiculous pretty much all of the time."

"I think you're adorable," Barry blurted out without thinking. Cal and Joe both started at him, both a little started. Cal smiled after a moment, going back to her filing.

"Thank you Barry."

Joe, however, had turned a knowing eye on his foster son, and rather than blushing as he was wont to do Barry felt the blood rush from his face. He knew that look - he and Joe were going to have a conversation about that little slip very soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry/Cal fluff. From what I understand Central City is in Ohio, I'm placing it at a location near Columbia for the distance.

Also, I decided to give Arrow another shot because of how much I ended up love The Flash, and it's worth watching if only for all of the ridiculous excuses Oliver feeds Felicity to get her to test random shit for him. ("If it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe?" "I ran out of sports bottles.")

I don't own the Flash, OneRepublic, or any of OneRepublic's songs. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

 _"I had a dream the other night_  
 _'Bout how we only get one life_  
 _Woke me up right after 2_  
 _I stayed awake and stared at you_  
 _So I wouldn't lose my mind"_

Barry smiled as he listened to Cal singing softly on the other side of the room. They had gotten together only a little over a week ago and so far things in his life were going more smoothly than they had been in a while. He had worked things out with Iris, and the rest of his odd little family had been happy to welcome her fully into the fold as one of their own. He was suddenly struck with a thought.

"You know, we haven't actually gone out on a real date yet."

Cal stopped singing and looked up at him from her computer. "No we haven't. Not that I'm complaining about how we've been spending our evenings," she smiled.

Barry grinned back unembarrassed- he had spent more nights in her bed than his own, and not much sleeping had been accomplished.

"Neither am I, but I'd still like to take you out. As a matter of fact..." he trailed off, pulling out his phone and running a quick search. "It's a Friday night, we get off work in 30 minutes, and OneRepublic is playing in...Pittsburgh in a few hours. Wanna go with me? I can run us there after work in plenty of time."

Cal sat up a little straighter. " _Pittsburgh?_ You want to run us to the next state over to take me to a concert?"

"And dinner, I'm a serious date here! Come on, it's not even 200 miles! That's a quick jog at best."

Cal laughed. "Alright B. Dinner and a concert in Pittsburgh it is."

* * *

Dinner was an incredible hole in the wall cafe with homemade croissant buns and hand sliced meats to make the best sandwich Cal had ever eaten.

"Where did you even _hear_ about this place?" she gushed, licking the last swipe of honey mustard from her thumb as they left the cafe.

"An old friend from college is from here, I called him to ask for a good place," Barry smiled, pleased she was enjoying herself. "And we're only a block from the bar, so it was pretty perfect."

"Perfect is right," Cal agreed, looping both hands around his waist as he brought an arm around her shoulders. "I'm having a really great night, Barry. Thank you."

"Anytime, Cal," he smiled, kissing her forehead.

The reached the bar shortly, both having to pull out their IDs to prove their baby faces.

Barry's was inspected and handed back, but Cal's gave the bouncer pause. "What kind of name is Calpurnia?"

Barry's jaw dropped as Cal slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Oh fuck me. The pre-emptive punishment kind, apparently. Look, I'm 25, okay, can I get my license back?"

The bouncer handed it back, laughing, before waving them through.

Barry leaned down to laugh delightedly in her ear as she dragged him by the hand. "Calpurnia! Cal is short for Calpurnia?!"

"Yes, ugh!" Cal nearly growled. "My parents made me promise that I'd never change it. My paternal grandfather died right before I was born, apparently he was obsessed with Roman history. His dying wish was to name me, and I ended up with _Calpurnia_." She practically spat the name.

"Caesar's third wife, Calpurnia?"

" _Yes_ , Ceasar's third wife, Calpurnia! _No one else knows this, B!_ " she practically hissed at him, whirling to stare him down. Still laughing, he held his hands up in defeat.

"Okay, okay! My lips are sealed!" He leaned down to kiss her quickly. "To be honest I kind of like it."

The glare turned to wary disbelief. "...you do?"

"Yeah!" Barry insisted. "I like that I'm the only one who knows, too. I could call you Nia when it's just us."

To his surprise, her cheeks turned pink. "Oh. No one's ever called me that before. I actually like that."

"Alright then. Nia," he said once more for emphasis, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the stage. They were far enough back in the crowd to have some space, but close enough to have a clear view of the musicians. The opening band had just closed and the headliner was about to go on. Barry wrapped his arms around Cal from behind, chin resting on the top of her head - he had mentioned that he enjoyed her in flats and hadn't seen her in heels since, which brought a smile to his face. He could sense her own smile as she hugged his arms to her, leaning back against his chest and molding herself to his body. As the band began to play, he leaned down to speak into her ear.

"This is really nice. Thank you."

"What for?" she asked, craning her head back to look at him. "You're the one who took me out."

"For letting me take you out, for being with me. It's nice to be a normal guy out with his girlfriend on a normal date."

"You work hard, Barry, harder than anyone I know. You deserve to take breaks and just be a young adult, no matter how many bad guys you have to catch - that's what you have friends to back you up for."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her again, then shifted so he was singing softly in her ear.

 _"Oh oh oh oh_  
 _Well this is life in color_  
 _Today feels like no other_  
 _And the darkest grays_  
 _The sun bursts, clouds break"_

He saw her eyes drift shut in contentment as his lips gently moved against her ear and the rhythm thrummed through their bodies. He grinned again and held her more tightly against him as they swayed.

* * *

It was late when Cal and Barry walked through the front door of her apartment, though they were full of energy from both the concert and the exhilarating trip home.

"I would love to see them again sometime, what a great show," Cal said, heading for her tiny kitchen to put the kettle on. "Tea?"

"Please." Barry had flopped down on her couch, head hanging over one end to watch her. He had grown comfortable here over the past few months over sporadic visits, especially in the last week. "I agree, though the company may have played a pretty large part."

"Still laying on the charm," she grinned. "You sure know how to treat a girl, B. Wanna put a movie or something on?"

"Sure," he said as he stood and walked over to her DVD collection. "Do you mind if I stay the night? Going back to the house I live in with my foster-dad at 25 after a date is kind of weird."

"Of course you can. Popcorn or cookies?"

"Uh, both?"

"Yeah, that was a silly question." She was bringing over the tea and snacks as he put in his chosen film. "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure? Good choice. Fun to watch if we're paying attention, easy to ignore if we're so inclined."

Barry laughed as they settled onto the couch. "I didn't choose it for those reasons."

"I would have," she eyed him over her glasses, smirking. He only grinned and shook his head.

"I haven't seen these teacups before, is this china?" he asked, indicating the cups on the table.

"Yeah, they were my great-grandmother's, they were passed down to me when I turned 18. I have full settings for 10 people, but I only ever use the teacups. I don't usually let other people use them but I trust you - it's not like you won't catch them if we drop them."

"That is true. Shh, the movie's starting."

"Oh, excuse me," she snarked, though a grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. He tugged her into his side, wrapping both arms around her and kissing the crown of her head.

"I said shh, Nia."


	5. Chapter 5

If you guys didn't know, Put Another Dime in the Jukebox is a companion piece to another collection called Feeling Good, the first installment of which is the primary basis for this couple. I'm not very skilled at writing cohesive storylines - mostly I just start daydreaming and random scenes begin to unfold, though if I marathon Flash before bed sometimes I dream things up too! So I just try to get those scenes down and do them justice for what they are, and I'm glad Barry and Cal are giving me lots of inspiration to expand and add to the progression of their relationship. I think they're cute and find them really fun to write, and I'm glad it seems others do too! I hope you check out Feeling Good if you haven't already?

The first 'I love you!' Hope you guys like it!

I don't own the Flash or the song Put Your Records On. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

It was after midnight on a Tuesday, and Barry and Cal had been back in the lab for close to an hour. There had been a rash of robbery/homicides in upscale neighborhoods lately, and the perpetrator had finally slipped up and left behind DNA evidence. They were in the process of running it through the system now, and hopefully soon they'd have a hit. They were working on reports in the meantime - the task only really required one of them, but they had been together when Barry got the call. After three months of dating he was still spending half his nights in her bed, and things were progressing quite happily in their relationship.

Cal hadn't thought to grab her laptop and both of their phones were close to dying, so they were working in silence for the first time in months. Barry knew it was only a matter of time before she couldn't handle it anymore, and only twenty minutes into their waiting she had begun to sing quietly on her own. They were seated comfortably on the floor, arms and thighs pressed together as they worked in their laps and Barry listened contently to her singing.

 _"Girl, put your records on_  
 _Tell me your favorite song_  
 _You go ahead, let your hair down_  
 _Sapphire and faded jeans_  
 _I hope you get your dreams_  
 _Just go ahead, let your hair down_  
 _You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow"_

She hummed through the rest of the song, and by now Barry had stopped working and was just watching her. The past three months had flown by, and Barry couldn't remember being this happy. It was so different from the way he'd felt about Iris, though those feelings had long since cooled. It was easy to just be around Cal - she recognized his bumbling for the flirting affection it was and returned it happily and even enthusiastically. She went full nerd the way he went full nerd, usually about video games or literature, and listened aptly when he went off on a tangent. He had never been starved for affection, Joe and Iris had made sure of that, but something in him just craved the way she looked at him waking up first thing in the morning.

"I love you," he said without thinking. As the humming stopped and her head snapped up to meet his gaze, he couldn't even find it in himself to be embarrassed. Blurting things out at her had worked in his favor more often than not, and though he hadn't considered the words before saying them, he knew the moment they left his mouth that he meant them to his very core.

Her eyes darted between both of his for several moments as a small smile grew on his face, before she grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked his lips down to hers. Her arms went around his neck, holding tightly as he pulled her to him in return. She ended the kiss just as quickly, grinning widely.

"I love you too, B." His grin matched hers as he pulled her in again. The kiss quickly grew more passionate, and Barry's head was swimming as Cal pulled herself into his lap, straddling his hips and scattering their reports. He had just slipped his hand into the back of her jeans when the DNA results dinged, startling them apart. Cal glared at the machine as Barry leaned his head against the wall, sighing in exasperation.

"We have got to stop doing this at work."

"Well then you better get me home and out of these clothes right now, Mr. Allen, because this is happening."

* * *

I'm not fully content to leave it there, but anything I tried to write after felt forced. I hope you guys liked it!

Terra-Fair - Here you go! Thank you for taking the time to read and leave a review, I hope you enjoy this update!


	6. Chapter 6

Alright, so I seriously debated whether or not to post this just yet. I had the idea a week or two ago, and got it all typed up today. I thought about waiting because not only is it Christmas-themed, it's a pretty big moment for Barry and Cal, and honestly the furthest point in their lives together that I've currently envisioned. Not to say it's the last of their story I have in mind, just that everything else I've jotted down or started working on occurs before this moment, and I genuinely considered saving it for last. But then I decided I didn't want to, because who knows what moments may unfold in my mind later on? As big a milestone as this is, it's hardly the biggest in their lives, and I enjoy these two crazy kids far too much to just accept that this is where their story ends. So I'm posting this, fully confident that I'll not only continue to write about their early relationship, but their future lives as they grow and change together. I hope you guys enjoy!

I don't own the Flash. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

Barry would never understand why the CCPD Christmas Party was always formal dress when it was held in the precinct. He, for one, was not happy about spending three hours of his free time in a penguin suit at his workplace. Cal had grumbled about it as well, though her strapless, knee-length, dark green dress and purple heels had Barry reconsidering his previous misgivings. This night may end up working out in his favor after all, he mused to himself as they moved among their coworkers.

While they remained steadfastly professional anytime they were there during conventional hours, this was a party during their off time, and Barry had kept his hand set firmly at Cal's waist for most of the evening, as he had the previous year when they'd been together only a few months. Their usual behavior must be convincing based on the surprised looks they were receiving from newer coworkers who apparently hadn't heard it through the grapevine.

The music was lively, and Barry knew how much Cal loved Christmas carols, but he'd noticed her looking around forlornly at the crowded room more than once. Glancing around, it looked like no one was paying any attention to them, and Barry decided he had the perfect idea.

"Hey Nia," he said quietly. She looked up at him, a little surprised - that was a very private name for them, and she was curious as to why he was using it now. He grinned down at her. "Come with me." He took her by the hand and guided her quickly away from the throng, towards the stars that led to their lab.

"And just what is this, Mr. Allen?" she sassed as he shut and locked the door behind them when they'd reached the lab. "Stealing me away to have your wicked way with me?"

"And if I were, my love?" he smirked, pulling out his phone.

"Well all you had to do was ask," she smirked back, hands on her hips. He laughed, setting down his phone as it began to play Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra. Cal dropped her hands, cocking her head in question.

"Oh please, you think I can't tell when you want to dance?" Barry deadpanned, taking her right hand in his left and pulling her towards him by the waist as she smiled up at him.

"I knew I loved you, B." She tucked herself underneath his chin, free hand resting lightly on his shoulder. They danced slowly for several seconds, before Barry began speaking thoughtfully.

"You know, this is a pretty special room for us."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, when you think about it. It's where we met, it's where we had our first kiss," he paused here to kiss her briefly. "It's where we first said 'I love you'. I'd call that special, wouldn't you?"

"You know, you're right. I never thought about all that."

"We should get married here," he continued in the same nonchalant tone.

Cal stiffened immediately and stopped dancing, pulling back to look at him with wide eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Yeah, you're right, this is a weird place to get married." Barry nodded, shrugging.

"I wasn't talking about the location part, Barry Allen, I was talking about the married part," Cal said, eyes still huge.

Barry tilted his head as though he were confused, reaching into his pocket. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget something?" There, held casually between his index and middle fingers, was a white gold band with a round aquamarine stone set between two small emeralds, for his birthday in March and hers in May. Cal brought both hands to her mouth in shock, looking from the ring to his eyes and back. He gently cupped her cheek with his other hand.

"Marry me, Nia?"

Then her arms were around his neck and she was raining kisses all over his face. "Yes, B, of course I will marry you!" He could hear her giggling even as he pulled her within proper kissing range, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He held nothing back, kissing her deeply, ravenously, a kiss she returned with equal fervor. It was hard to pull away from her, but he needed to see the look on her face as he slipped the ring onto her finger, and he was not disappointed.

"Cal Marie Allen," she said, voice full of wonder as she looked at the stones sparkling on her hand. Barry felt his grin widen, if that were possible. Suddenly she looked up at him. "Did you plan this?"

"I actually did not," Barry said, clearly pleased with himself. "To be honest, I've had that thing in my pocket for three months. I was just waiting for the right time, and tonight felt like the right time. Can you do me a favor and say Cal Marie Allen again?" She threw her head back in a laugh.

"Cal Marie Allen. Mr. and Mrs. Barry Allen. I'll say it however you want me to say it, future husband."

They made their way back to the party in short order, and were quickly descended upon by Iris and Cisco, each advancing on their respective best friend.

"And just what has the two of you so smiley?" Iris asked, though she managed to make it sound like an accusation.

"You weren't gone long enough for a quickie, unless I need to be ashamed of you both," Cisco said.

"Cisco!" Cal scolded, reaching out one hand to smack his arm. Iris gasped, grabbing her by the wrist, inspecting the ring Cal had momentarily forgotten about.

"No. Way."

Barry and Cal looked at each other, shrugging. It was going to come out sooner or later. "Yes way," Barry answered, one hand finding its home wrapped around her waist.

"FINALLY!" Iris shrieked, loud enough for the rest of the room to go silent as they turned towards her. Cisco wasted no time in taking advantage of the opportunity.

"BARRY AND CAL ARE GETTING MARRIED!" he shouted, grabbing Cal's wrist from Iris and raising her arm in the air like she was some kind of heavyweight champ. She pulled it back, laughing, as the crowded precinct cheered and began swarming them with congratulations, Joe of course reaching them first.

"Welcome to the family!" he told Cal, squeezing her tightly, before letting go to slap Barry on the back. "And it took you long enough!"

"Oh trust me, I know," Barry said sincerely, watching Cal for a moment as she accepted a congratulatory hug from Eddie. "Like I told Cal, that ring's been burning a hole in my pocket for months trying to figure out what to do. I mean, it ended up being perfect, but is it bad that I'm happy it's over and done with?"

Joe started chuckling as Barry fielded a few more handshakes. "What?" he asked, turning back to his foster father. "What's funny?"

"The fact that you think it's over and done with. Barry, you realize you have an entire wedding to plan now, right? As in location, guest lists, flowers, food, all of it. It's not over by a long shot, son."

Barry's expression grew steadily more pained with each item Joe listed. "I hadn't thought about that," he admitted, swallowing thickly. Suddenly he brightened, like he'd had a brilliant idea. "Excuse me!" He walked swiftly to Cal, whispering in her ear before taking her by the hand and pulling her away from the well wishers, towards the doors to the precinct.

"Where do you think you're going?" Joe called after them.

"Eloping!" Barry yelled over his shoulder, and Cal's laughter could be heard as the door swung shut behind them. There was scattered laughter throughout the room as the party resumed, though Joe, Iris, Eddie, and Cisco all exchanged glances.

"They wouldn't," Iris spoke first.

"I don't think I'm one hundred percent sure of that, actually," Eddie said thoughtfully.

"It's 10 o'clock at night, where would they even go to get married right now?" Joe asked, sounding less sure of himself than he'd like.

"How far do you really think Barry would have to run to find an all-night chapel?" Cisco asked. "Not very, I'm guessing."

The four waited only another moment, before turning simultaneously towards the door to chase after the errant couple.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Allen-Parks-soon-to-be-just-Allen household, Barry was moving at normal speed to remove his jacket and tie, taking his time to watch hungrily as Cal stepped out of her shoes and lifted her skirts to unclasp the garters holding her thigh highs in place, before peeling them delicately off her legs. In a moment he was right there, wrapping her in his arms even as he unzipped her dress, kissing her voraciously as it started to sink in that she had actually agreed to become his _wife._

Cal had been overjoyed when she realized Barry's whispered instruction to 'just go with it' would lead to their early escape from the party, and she threw herself into the kiss with equal vigor, wrapping her legs around his waist, trusting him to support her as she worked the buttons on his shirt.

"Nia," he managed between kisses, "we should probably tell them we're not really eloping."

"Later." She was pulling the dress shirt over his shoulders now, and audibly groaned at the white tshirt underneath. "You and your _layers,_ Barry."

He laughed as he kissed her again. "You know they're just going to start calling."

Cal rolled her eyes as she unwrapped herself from his body, stalking over to her purse where she'd stashed their phones, turning them both off before facing him again. Barry swore his heart stuttered at the predatory desire in her eyes.

"Let them try, future husband."

* * *

I thought about leaving it ambiguous about the eloping, but let's be real - like Barry would ever actually do that.

This just felt so genuinely Barry and Cal to me. I wasn't sure about the context when the idea first came to me, just the setting - in the lab, where they've shared some very important moments already. I considered it being a casual, across the room on a workday thing, but thought Barry would probably wait for something a little more special. Escaping from a crowded party at the precinct seemed like a fun little hideaway moment, and I wanted pretty dresses and suits just because, so I figured, Christmas party.

You may notice that neither Caitlin or Patty was mentioned, even though they're around at this point in the timeline. I don't imagine Caitlin would have any reason to attend a CCPD party, unlike Cisco who advises for them. And I haven't decided how Patty fits in with Team Flash in my universe, and probably won't until I see how they handle her in the canon universe. As of yet she's not really part of the family, and I didn't think she was necessary to this story.

I hope you guys enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

Wow, I haven't updated Jukebox in ages! Travesty! So sorry guys! Thank you so much to everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed, you guys are incredible and I think about you all the time! I've been working on a couple of other stories as well, one for Star Wars and a Criminal Minds/The Magicians crossover. If you're interested in any of those fandoms, you should check them out! I also updated Feeling Good recently, so don't forget to go see what Barry and Cal are up to when they're not in the lab!

This takes place just two weeks before Barry and Cal become a couple, just a fun morning at the lab, with a little flirting and a little humor and a little reminiscing.

If you ever find yourself in Oklahoma, search desperately for a Braum's for the best goddamn ice cream you've ever had. Dip their fries in a mint chocolate chip shake and you could die of happiness, I swear it.

I don't own the Flash or the song Calling Baton Rouge or Braum's. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

 _"Operator, won't you put me on through_

 _Gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge_

 _Hurry up, won't you put her on the line_

 _Gotta talk to the girl just one more time"_

"Oh no. Oh please no. Cal, please tell me you're not making me listen to country music today. Almost four months of working together and we have never _once_ listened to country music, why now?"

Barry was already begging as he reached the top of the stairs, hearing strains of Garth Brooks coming from their lab. He was hardly deterred by the sight of Cal spinning gleeful circles in her rolling chair, plastic spoon stuck into a quart of ice cream in her lap as she sang along. Her strange antics amused him, and he had long ago learned not to be surprised by what he may walk in on. The silly string was a fond memory.

"Sorry Barry, you're just gonna have to deal with this today! For once I'm actually feeling nostalgic for my childhood, so I'm gonna milk it for all it's worth before I go back to hating that place with a fiery passion!"

He laughed - he knew she was mostly joking about the fiery passion - but still tried to appear disgruntled.

"What's got you feeling so nostalgic? And why on earth are you eating ice cream before 8:30 in the morning?"

Cal's eyes glittered behind her glasses. "Lia sent me some...care packages. Have you ever had Braum's?"

"No, what's that?"

"It's an ice cream and burger chain that's just in Oklahoma. C'mere, I'm about to change your life right now." Setting down the coffees he'd brought for them and slipping off his jacket, he made his way over to her and held his hand out for the spoon.

Instead of handing it to him, Cal scooped up a bit of the ice cream and held it up to him to take in his mouth.

Barry stopped short for a moment, watching her freeze mid-smile as his speed gave him a moment to think. He hadn't spoken to Iris in nearly two weeks, and while that troubled him to an extent, he had been using that time to focus on the growing mutual attraction between himself and Cal. It was clear that they were both aware of the other's feelings, and though they had a sort of silent agreement to let things happen naturally, a certain level of... _tension_ had been rising between them, and it seemed to be nearing its peak.

His attempts at flirting had grown bolder, but only a little smoother. Still, his heart sang when she smiled softly as he stumbled over his words, recognizing - _finally, someone that understood_ \- that he cared for her and was doing his best to show her that, however clumsily. She had taken his cue to make her own feelings more obvious, and he was a little embarrassed at how easily she could make him blush with something as simple as complimenting his sweater or a lingering brush of her fingers on the back of his hand. This gave him an idea, thinking maybe it could be his turn to see her blush.

He resumed normal speed and, with a smirk, reached out a hand to lightly grasp her wrist. He let his thumb caress lightly over the smooth, delicate skin on the inside of her wrist before leaning forward and slowly taking the spoon in his mouth. He cheered inwardly when her pulse fluttered and quickened under his thumb, at the pink tinge to her cheeks, and at the barely audible intake of breath as he pulled away, still holding her wrist in place.

He suddenly stopped again, this time in surprise, as silky, creamy mint rolled over his tongue, and tiny flat squares of chocolate melted and began to dance ecstatically on his taste buds. His eyes widened, and he looked down at her incredulously.

"Why did no one tell me heaven comes from Oklahoma and why have you never shared it with me before."

The spell broken, Cal burst out laughing as Barry took the spoon from her and began to shovel ice cream into his mouth. "I know, right?! My sister overnighted this to me in dry ice, check it." She leaned over the side of her desk, and following her line of sight revealed to Barry a full sized ice chest. He yanked it open eagerly to reveal five more quarts of ice cream labeled with incredible names like Snickerdoodle and Dream Cooler and White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. "I've got three more of these big guys back home."

"Eighteen more quarts of ice cream?! You can't fit all that in your tiny freezer, what are you gonna do with it?"

She was grinning at him mischievously. "You and Joe have that deep freeze, right?"

Barry grinned. Oh, he liked where this was going. "Yes we do."

"You can have as much as you want if you let me stash it there."

"Deal! But you still have to explain the country music, I didn't even think you liked it."

Cal shrugged. "Most of it I don't, but I don't mind some of it. Now, the king of country, here-" she gestured at her laptop, now playing a different Garth Brooks song, "-he'll always have a special place in my heart. My Pop, he used to take Tori and me out for burgers and shakes at Braum's and then these long, long drives. One shake for lunch and then another for the road, of course." She grinned fondly, eyes faraway behind her glasses. "He'd play Garth Brooks tapes as loud as the stereo would go, steering with one hand and playing his harmonica with the other, not another car or truck for miles. All the way up until I left for MIT. Those are some of the best moments of my childhood."

She blinked, focusing on his face again, before widening her grin. "You should know this is probably all I'm going to eat today. Vegetables, shmegetables!"

Barry laughed as he moved back over to his own desk, snatching the quart of Snickerdoodle and another spoon on the way. "I'm in. Diabetes, here we come!"

She laughed with him, going for another twirl in her chair as she took a bite of her ice cream.

"What on earth are you two eating?"

Looking at the door of the lab, Joe stood with his hands out in question, half laughing and half scolding. Barry grinned at Cal before turning to his foster father.

"Joe, this ice cream is gonna change your life."

* * *

Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Not exactly a traditional Jukebox update, but I think I address that just fine. Set during season 2, episode 18, "Versus Zoom." I couldn't help but think that Cal would be a little better suited for this conversation. I haven't said this directly in the story yet, but Cal and Cisco are like, hardcore BFFs at this point. Barry and Iris/Cal and Tori level, without the raised together part. They have a different, and yes, deeper bond than the one he shares with Barry, even though Barry's known him longer. I think their eclectically nerdy souls would bond quickly and permanently, so when it comes to the deep conversations, sometimes Cal takes the reins. Watching this episode, this seemed like one of those times.

So sorry to everyone who's waiting for part 2 of the newest installment of Feeling Good. I sat down to finish it after work last Saturday only to be unable to find the file. I must have deleted it by accident. This seriously demotivated me as I was at a total loss as far as recalling it, so I took a few days to watch tv and spend time with my boyfriend to get my mind off it and come back to it. It's currently about halfway written and up for editing by the lovely Ahsilaa, who will be my beta/idea-bouncer/inspiration buddy from now on! She's working on her own Barry/OC story, so keep an eye out for her! I will hopefully have the second half posted this weekend, but for now, this!

I don't own The Flash or Lady Gaga's Pokerface. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

* * *

"Wait, so he was actually able to open a breach to Earth-2?" Cal asked, wide-eyed as Barry explained what happened at the old children's hospital. She had come in with Joe and followed Barry through the building to Cisco's workshop.

"Yeah, I mean he started to. But then he stopped, he said he couldn't and told me not to ask him to do it again." Barry sighed. "I just wish I knew what spooked him so badly. I'm looking for him now to talk to him."

"Let me try," Cal suggested. "I'm not as close to the situation, and he knows I'm a neutral party between the two of you." This was an aspect of her life Cal was adamant about - her friendships didn't interfere with her relationships, and her relationships didn't interfere with her friendships. She refused to take sides and often played Devil's Advocate.

Barry considered this a moment before agreeing. "He might be in his workshop."

"Got it." She kissed him quickly before continuing as Barry turned around.

She could hear Lady Gaga's Pokerface playing through his speakers as she approached, grinning as she spun the knob to lower the volume upon entering. "It's a regular Jukebox in here, dude."

Cisco didn't answer, just kept fiddling with his glasses. Cal sighed, pulling a stool up next to him and nestling her head onto his shoulder.

"Talk to me, homeslice. Barry said you were able to tap into your powers. What's got you sideways?"

Cisco sighed, putting down his screwdriver and resting his head on top of hers. "I'm scared, Cal. It's like...it's like right now I'm Anakin Skywalker. I got the midi-chlorians, I've got the goods. The force is strong with me. That is something I can feel. But if I start opening breaches into other worlds, doing all this other crazy stuff Reverb was doing, then...what if this is how I become Vader?"

Cal lifted her head from his shoulder and raised her eyebrow at him incredulously. "Dude, you're never gonna become Vader."

"You don't know that. _That_ is what happened to Reverb, he - he learned how to use his abilities, and when he felt that, when he felt that _power_ , he succumbed. To the dark side."

Cal shook her head, smiling at him. "Do you seriously - do you think that I would seriously be best friends with the kind of person who could ever succumb to the dark side? You've got way too much heart, _way_ too many people who love you to ever have a chance of going supervillain. Reverb _clearly_ rolled with some shady cats, but you've got me and Barry, and Caitlin and Joe and Iris and Harry and Jesse. You don't have a malicious bone in your precious little body, Cisco. _You_ control the _powers_ , my dude, the powers don't control you. You're not Reverb, you're Vibe. And Vibe is totally more of a Luke than a Vader."

Cisco was returning her smile now. "Damn, girl. You should write motivational speeches."

She laughed and nudged his shoulder with her own. "Cisco, I just...I haven't had a friend like you since Tori, and you mean the world to me. I don't want to see you throw away something that could make you an even more incredible version of your already incredible self because of a misplaced fear. It's okay to grow and change, Cisco. We won't let you change into something you don't want to be."

Cisco wrapped his arm around her, hugging her close to his side and resting his head on hers again. "Thanks, BFF."

"You're welcome, BFF."

* * *

I just love them. They're two nerdy little peas in a pod. Let me know what you think!

My friend Kelly drew me fanart! Nobody's ever drawn me fanart before! It's posted on my tumblr, dartagnan09 dot tumblr dot com. Go check it out!


	9. Announcement

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry it's been so long, you guys, and I'm sorry that this isn't a new chapter yet. I'm also sorry if you follow more than one of my stories, in which case you'll be reading this multiple times.

I'm going to start off with the good news - I'm buying a house! My boyfriend and I are in the process of closing on the cutest little house that's just over a hundred years old and sits on nearly half an acre. It's in a great location for us, with lots of space for us to spread out and a great detached garage for my boyfriend to have his glassblowing studio. I fell in love with it the moment I saw the pictures and knew it had to be ours the second we stepped inside.

The bad news, guys, is that this house is a serious fixer-upper. It needs love. Like, epically enormous shit-tons of love. Hardwood floors need to be sanded and refinished, carpet and tile ripped up and replaced, the roof needs fixing, the driveway needs to be relaid, the windows need to be replaced, the entire inside needs scrubbed and painted, among about a dozen other things. And we've got to do most of it ourselves.

We have four months to work on this house and get it up to living conditions before our current lease runs out on our apartment, and we're going to have to spend basically every waking moment outside our day jobs to do it. I also have to buy a new car - the cost to fix the air conditioning is more than my current car is even worth, AKA D'Artagnan's driving around in 100 degree weather with no AC! - which means I'll probably be working more hours at my day job in addition to playing handywoman.

Which means my writing has to take a backseat. I know I'm already flaky at best, so I really didn't want to just leave you guys hanging for six months before I suddenly popped up out of the woodwork with a flurry of new material. I honestly wouldn't expect to see anything out of me until after the new year at best, unless we manage to really power through these renovations and I get some relaxation time again. Until then, I'm not even going to try to make time to write because I need to focus on my other priorities.

I also hope to use this as an opportunity to come back fresh in six months. I almost feel burned out from trying so hard to write and it's starting to make me a little resentful of my stories - they feel like a chore rather than a treat. I want the process to feel fun again, and I really hope this forced vacation from writing will also be just the thing I need to get my inspiration and creativity back.

I hope you guys know how much I love and appreciate you, and how much it means to me that you've connected to my characters, especially Cal and Rymer. I hope you can be patient with me while I work on the next big step in my life, because I promise I'll make it worth the wait!

Thank you guys so much!

All the love,

D'Artagnan


End file.
